The deHavilland Comet 88
MANY CONSTRUCTION articles for scale models warn the prospective builder that the model is for "experts" only. Your author does not believe in this theory. In my observations, many relatively inexperienced modelers or even beginners have more natural manual art skill than some modelers of many years experience. If you want to build this model and think you can, go ahead and build it. However, be sure you have the desire to build it. Most scale projects are time consuming, demanding, and require months of work. Without a burning desire to create the model, the builder will never finish the project.
Niris
DON'T BE AFRAID to design your own plane! It's fun! I've always wanted to, but was afraid, until I got my courage up last year, and said, "I'm gonna do it." Not being an aeronautical engineer, I didn't do anything way out, but with a few sound principles to go by, it really is easier than I thought. The first step, I thought, was to go through some other construction articles and figure out what is needed for stability, proportions, etc. I was very impressed with Norm Page's Mach I design because of its size. His reasoning that a large plane is easier for the judges to see sounded logical, so "Niris" (pronounced Near-iss) started with the idea of a large wing area. A few side benefits of a plane this size include wind penetration and ease of landing. Thanks, Norm.
The Case for the Canard
CANARDS ARE FUN! You ask, "what is a canard?" A canard configured airplane is one which has a pitch control surface in front of its wing. The Wright brothers tried it, and it worked! Maybe you ought to try it. You may like it. When French aviation experimenters heard that the Wright brothers had succeeded in flying a machine with its elevators in front of its wings, they proclaimed that it was a "canard," a French word for a tall tale. The French believed it was a hoax because such a flying machine would have to be unstable in flight, and indeed the Wright brothers' 1903 airplane was unstable. Canard configured airplanes need not necessarily be unstable, if the correct CG location is used.
Typhoon
THE TYPHOON was originally conceived as a replacement for the Hurricane fighter. Its initial planning was started in peace time but the start of World War II forced the building and testing program into an accelerated pace, causing many development problems. The first test pilots were very critical of the plane due to underpowered engines, structural failures and ground engine fires. The Typhoon was designed first to combat heavily armored, well-armed, long-range fighters that Germany was reported to be building. Very early in its use, however, it was found to have no match under 10,000 ft. but at 20,000 ft. it was very vulnerable to enemy fighters. The thick wing and heavy wing loading that restricted its use at higher altitudes were necessary qualities for low altitude work. Its brute strength and heavy load carrying abilities made for a very stable aiming platform for all the armaments it carried.
Project Snapshot on the Road
IT SEEMS that most hobby projects become more complex with time. The beginner who is satisfied with a two- or three-channel radio is soon eager to work with five or six channels. The models and equipment often become more involved and expensive. But along with the extra time and money goes a greater satisfaction when a more challenging project is completed. However, the extra time and expense sometimes goes for things you cannot buy at a hobby shop.
